The effort to get dropouts back in class hit the streets of Des Moines on Saturday.

This is the fourth straight year the Des Moines Public Schools have recruited volunteers to help with Reach Out to Dropouts Day.

Advertisement

Volunteers from United Way and local businesses along with staff from the high schools broke into teams and headed out armed with a list of names and addresses of students who have dropped out of school in effort to get them to re-enroll.

Organizers said the idea is to talk to the students or their parents directly and invite them back to school. They also let them know there are many options for students who have to work to provide for their families or who just aren't able to go to school for a traditional school day.

"There are all kinds of challenges that get in the way of these students being successful in school," said Tom Ahart, interim superintendent of the Des Moines Public Schools. "And a lot of times it really isn't their choice. It's financial, economic things -- one of our stops this morning, the young man was working, well, clearly he needed to be providing some of the income for his family."

In 2010, volunteers visited 468 homes and convinced 11 dropouts to return to the classroom. Last year, they made 399 visits and 16 re-enrolled. On Saturday, they made 303 visits and five re-enrolled and another 27 said they were interested.